


Raise the Flag

by forlornwind



Category: Naruto, 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Not a Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 22:16:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11366736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forlornwind/pseuds/forlornwind
Summary: Nirvana in Fire re-imagined with some of the novel's title characters replaced by Naruto Founder's Era personalities.Crown Prince Hashirama is accused of treason and sentenced to death. In order to save 70 thousand lives, Prince Tobirama sacrifices his house to pave an escape for Hashirama.Hashirama flees north with the Jing army in order to rescue the Uchiha-led Chiyan army from complete annihilation. There on the snowy ridges of Meiling, their fates intertwine and their hearts tested against fire and ice.- Chapter 1: Senju Tobirama is captured by his father and thrown into prison.





	Raise the Flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Naruto fans who have not read the Nirvana in Fire novel, fret not! I give a simple narrator's summary of the background in the first chapter. For NiF fans, this story diverges pre-series, a "what if Jingyan was in the capital" AU, but with Senju Tobirama in the shoes of Xiao Jingyan.

## "      狼  
"      煙  
"      烽  
成    火  
王    何  
敗    時  
寇    休  
盡  
東  
流

_When will the flames of war rest  
The concept of win and loss eventually flows into nothingness_

 

In the eleventh year of Senju Butsuma’s rule, at the peak of the country of Da Liang and the height of his paranoia, he sentenced his eldest son, Senju Hashirama, to the crime of **(** _attempted_ **)** treason. The then Crown Prince was to be drafted off to prison and subjected to death by poison. Along with him, the servants and ministers residing in the Eastern Palace were to be executed, or sent to exile depending on the severity of their involvement. The Chiyan army under Uchiha Madara will also be executed for their communications of rebellion with the Crown Prince.

Who could have thought that the seat of the Eastern Palace, the dignified residence of the Crown Prince, would be emptied overnight? Oh, Xie Yu and Xia Jiang thought all about it while they forged letters of treason between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, poisoning Butsuma’s mind while Madara was off to the war in the north. While the Uchiha Clan defended the northern borders, another kind of war was ongoing in the capital.

But, there was one person they had forgotten to include in their kill list. That person shall put a bounty on his own head willingly… but not after he had paved the way for a brighter future.

That person is Senju Tobirama. The martial prince who commanded the Jing manor. The unfavoured prince. _The prince who was not even a High prince_. The prince who was not even allowed to live in the castle.

Yes. That prince. They should have killed Senju Tobirama.

They should have killed him while he was in the capital. They should have killed him before he tied the fate of everyone in his manor to the fate of the Eastern Palace.

They should have killed him before Hashirama fled north with the Jing army.

“Why would you help that traitor to rebel against me?” asked Butsuma, a dull and cracked voice resounding somberly against the grey prison walls.

No. He didn’t ask. He contemplated. He _decided_. His mind was clicking, the idea of the rebellion cemented in his head.

“He did not rebel until you sentenced him and all his family to death.” Tobirama calmly stated. _And his friend, and his friend’s army, and their families._

Though Tobirama and Madara were both men of war and battle, Tobirama had a calm not found in the Uchiha. A steadier mind, a traditional grip honed by his royal upbringing. _‘Soft words pierce through stone better than you may think, Tobirama.’_ his mother’s soft and tranquil voice floated in his hair. White hair that was now matted with gravel and light stains of red. Hands that once held the bow and sword now chained with heavy metal as he laid them on his lap silently, kneeling to the Emperor he called father.

Right. His mother. Did Tobirama think of his mother when he shoved the fate of Jing manor into Hell?

His mother would understand. She will understand that he had to put a few lives on the line in order to save a few ten thousands from the executioner’s blade. In order to save the future of a great country. She will understand. _‘You always had a heart of gold, Tobirama. I think it’s good for you to follow your elder brother Hashi.’_

But she really meant _‘follow Hashi and learn the ways of the court.'_ She probably did not mean follow Hashi to his death.

“He rebelled not against you, but against death. And, he is not a traitor. He is my elder, royal brother. A benevolent king of his generation. He is-”

“Shut your mouth! Shut your mouth!” came the crazed chanting.

Tobirama felt the spit of saliva as his father, no, as the Emperor stomped his legs pitifully, trying to use angry authority to will away the truths pouring out from this useless son’s mouth.

 

 _This useless son guarded the Eastern Sea, father._ Tobirama’s eyes shimmered with resolution and a wish. _Do you remember me, father?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Any feedback is welcomed.


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